strengthening fao -academia partnerships · strategic partnerships can support member countries...

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Expert Consultation __________________________________________________________________________

Final Report

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

5-6 June 2014, Rome, Italy

Strengthening FAO-Academia

Partnerships

Contents

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 1

I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3

II. Opening Plenary Session ................................................................................................ 4

III. FAO-Academia Partnership Strategy ............................................................................. 5

IV. Working Group Sessions ................................................................................................ 6

A. Partnerships for SO1: Eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition .......... 6

B. Partnerships for SO2: Increase and improve provision of agriculture, forestry

and fisheries in a sustainable manner ............................................................................ 7

C. Partnerships for SO3: Reduce rural poverty .................................................................. 9

D. Partnerships for SO4: Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and

food systems ................................................................................................................ 10

E. Partnerships for SO5: Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises ...... 11

V. Final Plenary Session .................................................................................................... 12

VI. Summary of Recommendations for FAO ..................................................................... 13

VII. Conclusion and Next Steps ........................................................................................... 14

Annex 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 15

Annex 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 17

1

Executive Summary

Strategic partnerships can support Member countries more effectively in eradicating hunger,

malnutrition and achievement of food security. To develop FAO’s strategy for collaborating

with Academia, an Expert Consultation on ‘Strengthening FAO-Academia Partnerships’ was

organized at FAO Headquarters on 5-6 June 2014. The main objectives of the consultation were

to review the ‘FAO-Partnership Strategy with Academia and Research Organizations’ and

develop a road map for its implementation in support of the Strategic Objectives (SO). The

consultation brought together 17 experts from a wide range of disciplines and regionally diverse

academic and research organizations. They were joined by members of SO delivery teams.

Background documents included the Strategy and five briefs on SO which identify the major

work areas and the regional initiatives.

The experts commended FAO for preparing the integrated and inter-connected Strategic

Framework to provide a clear direction for FAO’s work and welcomed the academia partnership

initiative, recognizing the need for keeping knowledge updated to address food and agriculture

challenges. The experts agreed that the Strategy with its Focus Areas provides a good

framework for expanding partnerships and looked forward for joint implementation of the road

map. They recognized that teaching was not enough, rather the triple actions of teaching,

research and extension through community services are required to ensure sustainable food

production, resource conservation and social-ecological well-being. Academia plays a critical

role in skill enhancement, interdisciplinary knowledge production and sharing and bringing new

opportunities for the next generation.

The main recommendations are as follows:

The Strategy provides a good framework to institutionalize collective efforts. FAO should

keep it updated with a focus on strategic alliances; keep the road map under review to

identify and develop opportunities and deepen partnerships,

Regular consultations should be undertaken at the regional level to identify gaps and match

to academic resources to support the implementation of SO and their regional initiatives. A

joint map is required to identify the knowledge gaps and match them to existing available academic resources,

Strong communications must be maintained with the academia. More outreach and

advocacy at the local level will promote engagement of academia on the ground,

FAO should work with member governments to shape research agenda to support the SO

and address the challenging issues of hunger and poverty. FAO should take advantage of the

existing hubs, networks and initiatives of the academia and research community for this and

for the promotion and dissemination of knowledge and expertise,

Resources are essential for expanding the role of academia to increase participation in policy

processes. FAO should actively promote resource mobilization to support academic

engagement in intergovernmental processes and in FAO projects and programmes,

FAO should provide an open space for dialogue and work together to create a venue in

which FAO and academia can provide long-term critical thinking and foresight on

agriculture food systems. Simple propositions such as exchange of staff and, sabbaticals

should be encouraged,

FAO should work with Centers of Excellence, align them to SO-led initiatives to close the

knowledge gaps, exchange latest information and innovations, build capacities and

demonstrate transformative approaches. Ph.D. students could be linked to provide various

analyses, market information, quality data based on academia research,

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FAO can better support academia’s role in food security by promoting South-South-North

academic exchanges, supporting regional meetings, promoting fellowships, sharing lessons

learnt and latest policy information,

Academic curriculum for food sector needs to be updated. FAO expertise should be utilized

for academic curriculum development, particularly for promoting practical,

multidisciplinary approaches to food and agriculture topics,

Academia and FAO need to make agriculture a profession more attractive to youth. FAO

and academia should develop innovation clusters, including incubators to support local

knowledge, sensitizing youth through joint FAO-academia programmes.

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I. Introduction

As knowledge and solutions are spread across a vast array of institutions, FAO recognizes that

through strategic partnerships it can support Member countries more effectively in eradicating

hunger, malnutrition and achieving food security. As discussed in its Reviewed Strategic

Framework, the Strategic Objectives (SO)1 that are the main areas of work for the Organization,

emphasize partnerships with governments as well as with the non-state actors including the

civil society, private sector and the academia, to mobilize the best available knowledge,

capacities, services and resources to meet global goals and deliver on the ground. With FAO

strategies for partnership with the private sector and the civil society in place, opportunities are

being expanded with these entities for maximizing benefits through a more inclusive

engagement.

The SO promote an integrated approach to combat hunger. One of the mainstays is that they cut

across traditional academic disciplines with the aim of harnessing knowledge from multiple

channels for supporting policy processes and technical interventions. Although FAO has a close

relationship with numerous universities and research organizations - the Academia, the SO

provide a fresh opportunity to strengthen linkages at an institutional level and increase value-

proposition to jointly address the complexities and challenges of food and agriculture systems.

By leveraging mutually beneficial partnerships and by capitalizing on comparative advantages,

FAO can better support Member States to stay ahead on knowledge advances, promote

evidence-based decision-making and enhance skills of the next generation of agriculture

practitioners.

These opportunities and possible future options have been elaborated in the ‘FAO Partnership

Strategy with Academia and Research Organizations’ which describes the principles, objectives

and tools for building partnerships with the Academia. It identifies a set of focus areas for

initiating strategic partnerships at the global and local levels to support FAO’s SO and global

goals. The strategy proposes establishing an ad hoc Academia Advisory Group to assist and

advise on furthering FAO’s approach for partnering with the Academia.

To discuss FAO’s approach and main substantive areas for strengthening collaboration with the

Academia, an Expert Consultation on ‘Strengthening FAO-Academia Partnerships’ was

organized at FAO Headquarters on 5-6 June 2014. The main objectives of the consultation were

to review the ‘FAO-Partnership Strategy with Academia and Research Organizations’ and

develop a road map for its implementation in support of the Strategic Objectives.

The consultation brought together 17 experts from a wide range of disciplines and regionally

diverse academic and research organizations. They were joined by members of SO delivery

teams. The Agenda and the List of Participants are in Annex 1 and 2 respectively. The

background documents for the consultation, including the Strategy and five SO Briefs

identifying the major work areas and the regional initiatives and the power point presentations,

are available separately.

1The Strategic Objectives (SO) discussed in the Reviewed Strategic Framework are

http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/027/mg015e.pdf

SO1: Eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition

SO2 : Increase and improve provision of agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a sustainable manner

SO3: Reduce rural poverty

SO4: Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems

SO5: Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises

http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/027/mg015e.pdf

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II. Opening Plenary Session

At the opening plenary session, Mr. José Graziano da Silva, Director-General, welcomed the

experts through a pre-recorded video message where he underlined the importance of FAO-

academia relationships for technical support and for continuous intellectual discourse on the

future of food in meeting the needs of a world that will be over 9 billion people. Mr. Graziano

stated that there were many areas need support from academia and he looks forward to working

together to meet the global challenges.

Mr. Dan Gustafson, Deputy Director-General-Operations, delivered the opening remarks. He

extended a warm welcome to the experts and colleagues and thanked the academia partners for

their long-standing engagement with the Organization. He emphasized the importance of their

contributions to food security and development and highlighted the new opportunities arising

from the adoption of the multi-disciplinary, integrated approach to delivery on the ground as

envisioned under the SO. He noted that the academia was already advanced in inter-disciplinary

research and innovations and that by working together these could be applied in the field level

with greater impact.

Ms. Marcela Villarreal, Director, Office of Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development

(OPC), joined in welcoming all the participants and thanked colleagues from the various

regional offices for participating via video. Ms. Villarreal highlighted the need for building

inclusive multi-stakeholder partnerships and promoting innovative modalities for collaboration

with the academia, civil society and the private sector including farmer organizations. She

stressed that the academia are the incubators of new ideas and knowledge. They must play their

role in addressing the present challenges by developing the necessary skills and capabilities of

the next generation of agricultural practitioners, especially at the regional and national levels.

Mr. Rodrigo Casteñeda, Chief, Partnership Unit (OPCP), in his welcome also stressed the role

and contributions of the academia sector. He urged academia to participate in multi-stakeholder

dialogues to share their views with private sector and the non-governmental organizations. He

looked forward to the road map for addressing the knowledge needs.

Following the introductory remarks, Ms. Villarreal invited Prof. Walter Belik, University of

Campinas, Brazil, to deliver a presentation on the ‘Role of Academia in Food Security and

Development’. Mr. Belik highlighted both the complementarities and differences between the

missions, goals and targets of the Academia and FAO as well as the challenges and

opportunities to develop joint efforts for food security. He also identified several successful

examples of collaborations in the area of education, research and community services.

In the discussion that followed, participants agreed that there were many avenues for deepening

partnerships particularly at the regional level not only for research and technical training but

also to promote awareness about pertinent food security issues among students. The need for

keeping knowledge updated and participative was also emphasized. Although academia has

always been at the forefront of knowledge, much more needs to be achieved in addressing food

and agriculture challenges, particularly through raising awareness and expanding outreach. As

many participants noted, academia was in a unique position to be able to shape the future of

food security through its influence over students - the prospective food and agriculture

practitioners. By providing the proper education, academia can leverage its knowledge to steer

the future of food security.

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III. FAO-Academia Partnership Strategy

Prof. Carlos Mielitz and Kakoli Ghosh (OPCP) presented a brief overview of the document

‘FAO Partnership Strategy with Academia and Research Organizations’ that provides a

corporate approach for building these partnerships. They highlighted the main areas including

the aims and objectives, focus areas, challenges, opportunities and provided some recent

examples of ongoing partnerships with academia. In the discussion chaired by Ms. Villarreal,

the experts welcomed the preparation of the strategy document as it provides a good broad

framework for guiding partnerships with the academic sector. They commended FAO on its

leadership for preparing the integrated and inter-connected SO and recognized that they not only

provide a clear direction for FAO’s work but also open up new areas for critical thought and

research in the food and agriculture domain. Building strong integrated multidisciplinary work

requires high-level of commitment and necessary resources, and without adequate long term

support, the level of academic engagement in these areas are selective and variable. The higher-

education curriculum for food and agriculture sector in many countries need to be updated to

broaden scope and promote integrated problem analyses from scientific, social, economic and

environmental aspects. Special focus is required to attract and retain youth in the food and

agriculture sector. There was also a need for reflection how best to link theoretical models for

knowledge integration with practical realities.

A substantive discussion took place on the Focus Areas as proposed in the Strategy – Science

Innovation Forum, Triangular Academic Collaborations, Direct Point Academic hubs, and

Engagement campaign. The experts agreed that the proposed forum for intellectual debate is

important for gathering critical thinking on policies and on food systems issues such as the

Future of Food’, however, all efforts must be made to utilize existing fora and avoid

duplications. The Triangular Academic Collaborations, they felt, offer strong opportunities for

twinning north-south exchanges, however more specific modalities and adequate resources are

required to leverage and utilize local, lateral and triangular support of academia with the

national programmes in developing countries. South–South academic cooperation should be

further emphasized. The representative from GFAR noted that FAO and academia should take

advantage of the existing hubs, networks and initiatives of the academia and research

community, for the promotion and dissemination of knowledge and expertise. The proposal for

‘academic hubs’ for specific thematics should also include opportunities for resource

mobilization and participation of youth. Advocacy and communication are extremely important

and should be inclusive. Other options for engagement through joint publications, peer review

etc. should be considered. There was a strong support for developing a “‘living’ road map” so

that academia could engage dynamically in multi-sectoral dialogues, platforms and relevant

processes. The proposal for establishing an advisory group to guide the way forward was well-

received.

Ms. Villarreal and Prof. Mielitz thanked the participants for their rich substantive inputs and

informed that the Strategy will be finalized with the inputs received from the consultation.

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IV. Working Group Sessions

These sessions provided the experts an opportunity to discuss with the SO team members the

knowledge gaps of each of the SO and deliberate on the specific ways and means for academia

to support them. The sessions were highly interactive and led to sharing of experiences,

identification of specific opportunities through value-added collaborations for a road map. The

five SO briefs provided a summary of the major areas of work, expected outputs and regional

initiatives, and allowed the discussions to probe into technical details. The sessions started with

a brief presentation of the SO by the team representative, followed by a facilitated discussion on

the knowledge needs, key challenges and opportunities for academia partnerships in the long

and short term. The outcomes of the deliberations were presented in the plenary session.

A. Partnerships for SO1: Eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition

Mr. Mark Smulders, on behalf of the Strategic Objective 1 (SO1) team, presented an overview

of SO1 and its four pillars: policy environment, stakeholder commitment, effective coordination

and evidence-based decision-making and outlined the main areas of work under each of them.

The goal of SO1 team is to create the necessary enabling conditions for governance and

decision-making at all levels. This includes strengthened political will and commitment,

appropriate accountability mechanisms and more purposeful action. SO1 team members Ms.

Cordelia Salter, Mr. Carlo Cafiero and Mr. Paul MunroFaure also pointed out that academia

support can help achieve the goals by promoting more evidence-based research approach,

expanding geographical outreach and dissemination of existing knowledge through developing

innovative tools, building capacities and jointly mobilizing funding resources.

What can be done together: Experts agreed that thematic issues covered by SO1 offer new

possibilities to pursue research and teaching in multiple areas on nutrition and food security

governance. In a wide ranging discussion, they elaborated on some of ways to expand academic

support, including through establishing an inter-disciplinary work force for curriculum

development using FAO knowledge products, co-grant led establishment of essential resource

bases and research agendas and development of innovation methodologies. Such initiatives

could also help in promoting uniform interpretations of the terms like ‘food security’ or ‘right to

food’ within the academic community.

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What are the challenges: Some of the key challenges as identified were the limited engagement

of the academia with national policy-making processes, existing knowledge-gaps at regional

levels in the areas of policy-setting and monitoring and lack of information on FAO projects

and programmes at the country level. Experts felt that through improved information flow and

participation, academia could assist in regional initiatives, establish mechanisms to mobilize

data, local knowledge and lessons learnt and could update teaching courses by integrating multi-

disciplinary dimensions. Further, FAO and academia must work together to improve donor

awareness of funding needs to support multi-disciplinary projects.

Joint road map activities: To support regional capacities, FAO and academia must consider the

following areas for the road map:

identify additional resources to support activities and programmes at country level,

improve the geographic diversity of partnerships and build capacities at local

universities, develop networks and platforms to raise awareness at government levels for

improving policies,

link agendas to ensure that the knowledge gaps are filled and properly integrated in

curricula,

widen information dissemination by increasing the use of academic fora to address

research topics and needs, and

Joint development of food security map.

B. Partnerships for SO2: Increase and improve provision of agriculture, forestry and

fisheries in a sustainable manner

Ms. Ruth Charrondiere provided an overview of the context and rationale for SO2 and noted

that sustainable nutritious food production through ‘more with less’ required innovations and

systems approach that addressed agronomic, environmental, economic and social issues

concomitantly. She described the major areas of work, regional initiatives, and provided

examples of ongoing collaborations with academia partners and discussed the challenges in

establishing dialogue among multiple partners, keeping knowledge updated and linking

academic research, technologies and innovations with needs on the ground for

operationalisation of SO2 at national levels. The SO2 team presentation was supported by Ms.

Manuela Allara, Ms. Boitshepo Giyose, Ms. Magdalena Blum and Ms. Karin Nichterlien and

Mr. Chikelu Mba and Mr. Kevin Helps.

What can be done together: The wide ranging discussion touched upon several aspects of SO2

and the challenges to implementing the proposed integrated approach at local country level.

From the academic standpoint, the scope and coverage of SO2 provides a grand opportunity for

analyses on tradeoffs, impacts, interfaces and linkages within sectors as well as in cross-cutting

themes. However, there was a need for a shared vision for developing the ‘Systems’ approach.

FAO-academia partnership should foster joint work to strengthen capacities, promote

interdisciplinary studies and participatory technology transfer where knowledge and tools

already exist. Academic input can enrich FAO’s thematic networks to develop socio-economic

research programmes that promote de-intensification. New extension systems/models (i.e.

innovation platforms/clusters) and triangulations have to be designed to strengthen multi-partner

collaborations (South-South-North), for knowledge/ideas exchange to “produce better with

less”, support scientific, evidence-based data and to bring about institutional change issues for

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sustainable development. Furthermore, academia can play a pivotal role in influencing

knowledge and vision of the future generations, those who will work in government and

corporate sectors and bring in sustainable development approach into new generation thinking.

What are the challenges: Given the breadth of SO2, one of the main challenges is to increase

dialogue and regular information exchanges between FAO and academia and practitioners to

build a better understanding of the ongoing initiatives. Although multidisciplinary initiatives are

underway, there is limited data and tools for large scale deployment. Mapping these projects at

least at a regional level, could be a starting point. Extension systems are weak or non-existent in

most countries and must be enhanced or recreated to support capacity building and create jobs

in rural areas. Adequate mechanisms are also required to reach policy makers and donors at

national and regional levels. The development of curriculum, training and certification

programmes through licensed institutions should be based on local need. In its role as a broker

and facilitator, FAO should provide technical guidelines and disseminate success stories in

sustainability to build up knowledge and skills to ensure good practices are applied at local,

national and regional levels.

Where much of the technologies or knowledge is already available, their wider diffusion and

uptake by farmers remains a key challenge. Extension systems need to be thoroughly upgraded

and re-established to realize SO2. On the other end there are still significant knowledge and

technology gaps, especially in addressing methodological questions and measurements related

to climate change or sustainable intensification. There is an urgent need for co-innovation and

building multidisciplinary networks among research and knowledge institutions so that good

practices can be spread around the globe. Strong political will is essential for successful

implementation of economic, social and environmental policies and to nurture an enabling

environment in the nations. Academia needs to participate in this process with all other

stakeholders.

Joint road map activities: The participants recognized the issues related to sustainable livestock,

fisheries or forestry production were not discussed due to lack of time. However, FAO should

promote science-based dialogue for SO2 and provide the linkage between government and

academia through use of academic clusters/platforms for capacity development and training,

particularly of future policy makers. Specific areas for inputs a Road Map for SO2

collaborations include:

support rebuilding extension services capacities in developing countries for knowledge

dissemination and linking national research to extension systems, education and practice

and developing new models linking extension and research,

undertake joint scientific assessment, base line measurements, development of

methodologies. Keep up intellectual discourse to continuously updated knowledge and

share success and failure as a learning experience,

engage youth by creating more interdisciplinary education opportunities, curricula that

includes practice based, experiential training and new skill enhancements,

develop policies to attract farming and agriculture as potential careers,

design mechanisms for engaging academia at local government level,

support formation of panels to review existing agricultural policies to promote

innovative cluster systems to bring together government, farmers and industry.

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C. Partnerships for SO3: Reduce rural poverty

Ms. Susan Kaaria, of the SO3 team gave a presentation outlining facts on rural poverty and the

work being undertaken through SO3 in overcoming the challenges facing rural populations

through empowerment by access to services, employment and social protection. She noted that

social protection is a new area of work in FAO and there was a huge need for support from

academia and research community. SO3 team members Ms. Carol Djeddah, Mr. Salomon

Salcedo, Ms. Samia Metwally and Ms. Katinka DeBalogh provided examples of specific

activities such as development of tools and methodologies to support evidence-based strategies,

strengthening linkages between research and policy design, conducting research to build on

lessons learnt and evaluation with local stakeholders, monitoring current activities and trends at

country level, and advancing gender issues.

What can be done together: The group agreed that FAO and academia can best work together on

the SO3 priorities through an inclusive process, by enhancing academia’s inclusion in research

and related activities from the planning phase. Academia could agree to conduct the targeted

research as per SO3 priorities but advised that research themes and skill needs from universities

should be as specific as possible. University departments could act as ‘hubs’ and knowledge

centres for focus countries. Developing study programmes, internships, pilot projects and joint

communications (newsletters, journals, publications) must be considered to raise visibility and

for expanding engagement with academic and research community and improve coordination

between research and needs on the ground, and make research findings more accessible at all

levels.

What are the challenges: Poverty is multi-dimensional and requires a trans-disciplinary

approach for linking nutrition and diets to income generation and employment; demand-driven,

evidence-based research is crucial to support informed policy-making to reduce rural poverty,

improve nutrition of diets, address areas of conflict and ensure gender-empowerment for

household decision-making. To ensure that this relevant, demand-driven research is undertaken,

FAO and academia must work together to garner institutional support for the establishment of

resources (i.e., financial and human) and identify the on-the-ground needs and gaps of

information to shape the research agenda.

Joint road map activities:

Providing opportunities of capacity building and knowledge transfer through

curriculum development to improve social and productive policies,

creation of social sciences Ph.D. programmes in Africa,

holding national and regional meetings to exchange lessons learnt,

linking academia to regional and smallholder initiatives,

using triangular knowledge networks (FAO regional offices, local and research

universities).

Advocacy activities promoting uptake on research should be undertaken by

reframing research with a gender focus to create mechanisms to strengthen women’s

role in management, value chains, social protection, resilience and vulnerability,

Showcasing poverty reduction results to governments.

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Utilization of Networks

partner organizations for evidence-based strategies,

for identification of regional resources, work themes,

as a means to reach policymakers/governments.

D. Partnerships for SO4: Enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food

systems

As food and agricultural systems are undergoing changes around the world, FAO focuses its

attention and work through SO4 to make agricultural systems inclusive and operate in a safe

and sustainable manner. Ms. Pilar Santacoloma gave an overview of SO4, its major areas of

work and regional initiatives that focus on assisting governments for enhancing policy making,

capacity development and for developing effective strategies that support smallholders in

sustainable agro-industry and food systems. SO4 team members Ms. Marlo Rankin and Mr.

Guenter Hemrich identified several knowledge needs for strengthening SO4 work themes

including through evidence-based research, raising-awareness, mapping, strengthening good

practices for creating market incentives in agri-food systems and supporting global initiatives

on food loss and waste among others. A strong emphasis is required on development and use of

norms and standards at the global and national level.

What can be done together: The participants covered several themes including promotion of

small scale agribusiness, creation of evidence-based information platforms for research, use of

‘value chain incubators’, and mobilization of resources. There is a need to make reliable and

readily available knowledge on market information, prices, quality data, etc. and FAO should

work closely with academia to support this. Development of capacities within governments for

agribusiness is essential and must be facilitated through partnerships with associations and

platforms as well as through sharing experiences and best practices. Agricultural graduates may

be encouraged to take up farming by providing some incentives by the governments through

programmes like special subsidies for farm equipment and irrigation equipment. The issues

around public–private partnership models, transparency, and return of investment, market,

tradeoffs and economic development were discussed. Open dialogue to strengthen critical

thinking and influencing research agenda linking them to rural poverty issues under SO4 is

needed with more weight to be given to geographical areas based on need.

What are the challenges: The experts agreed that in the fast changing global environments,

academia needs to move away from ‘silos of knowledge’ to a holistic multi-disciplinary

perspective that covers local contexts and issues. Despite advances, there is a lack of

international standards for supporting value chain/agribusiness and that FAO and academia

should work with national organizations and the private sector to encourage governments for

adoption of standard setting practices. Together with capacity building, lobbying–power is

needed to influence government policies and standards in support of small holders and for

creating enabling environments. Resources and new promotions are necessary to develop

knowledge incubators for viable business opportunities.


mapping of existing platforms relevant to SO4 initiatives, identify initiatives that support

agribusiness incubators, identify in-country initiatives to promote value chain

development,

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developing and setting research agenda on SO4 topics (food need evolution, agriculture

production, need for cross-fertilization of disciplines),

advocacy - use of innovation platforms at international level, forums bringing together

science, sociology and policy developers; maximize role of FAO to lobby governments

for evidence-based policy changes,

youth engagement: fellowships, training, student work in the field,

promoting curriculum for Participatory Agricultural Management Programmes.

E. Partnerships for SO5: Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crises

Resilience is the first - and sometimes the only - line of defense for vulnerable smallholders

when threats become crises, such as when natural hazards (e.g. hurricanes, droughts, locust

infestations) overwhelm a society’s capacities to cope, transforming the threat into disaster. Mr.

Neil Marsland described that the scope of work under SO5 is to support resilient livelihoods

systems that can withstand threats or adapt to new pathways in times of crisis. He described

how resilience requires a multi-disciplinary approach to bring together risk reduction and crisis

management across all sectors. SO5 team members Mr. Luca Russo, Ms. Martina Caruso and

Ms. Lavinia Antonaci identified potential areas of collaboration with the academia, including

joint research, developing warning systems, lateral regional capacity building activities, use of

youth knowledge and expertise, and curricula development. The SO5 team further discussed the

need for in-depth research and linkage of research in the developing world.

What can be done together: The experts elaborated on resilience building themes for research

and education and identified areas including development early warning systems, use of models

and mapping relating to animal disease assessments, One Health, epidemic geographic models

(Asia to Africa), existing institutional expertise, action plans, market resilience, programmes for

conflict and reconstruction, delivery mechanisms (logistics), corporate monitoring for a cross-

cutting approach, environmental impact, and climate impact on disaster. Many countries do not

have the requisite institutional knowledge and expertise to collect proper data and focus should

be given to institutional and regional development in a three-part framework: research, teaching

and capacity building.

What are the challenges: Continuing challenges include policy setting and development of a

framework for an interdisciplinary, systematic approach to emergency responses. There is also a

limited research being carried out on ‘resilience’. There is an absence of a strong curriculum on

resilience and related issues. While funding for emergency measures is available, there are

hardly any resources for developing capacities for a long term disaster and risk management.

There are several areas where academia could provide direction to strengthen resilience in

particular in those countries which frequently face emergency situations due to natural or

manmade calamities.


mapping of institutional expertise capacities for use of experts, fellowships, faculty

sabbaticals, students in the field, risk management institutions, networks of universities

with relevant expertise for proactive response plans,

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development of Ph.D. resilience programmes: Creation of courses and curricula on

understanding the socio-economic dimensions of resilience, technical topics, risk

management and conflict management,

development of a platform for resilience alliance for food and livelihood,

capacity building using technically advanced academia for support in the field and

common framework on resilience, response plans,

advocacy; supporting governments for evidence-based policy development and

emergency response mechanisms.

V. Final Plenary Session

The options and opportunities for developing a road map presented by the SO teams in the

plenary led to the discussion for developing a broad framework of academic coalition that

would share the intellectual capital to respond to global needs for eliminating hunger. Experts

recognized that it was clear that for the academia mere teaching was not enough, rather the

triple actions of teaching, research and extension through community services have to be

reinforced simultaneously to ensure increased food production, resource conservation and

social-ecological well-being.

The teaching landscape itself needs to better integrated with the fast pace of technological

advances. Furthermore, a more participatory approach in academic exchanges and capacity

development is needed to increase engagement and shape the intellectual discourse on the future

of food. Farmers, rural workers, local indigenous groups and community leaders should

participate in innovation. Academia must strive to build the bridge for private-sector led

initiatives where universities are already working together both in north-south and south–south

initiatives.

Academia needs effective avenues to better engage with the ongoing international policy-

making processes linked to food and agriculture sector. This could be due to a lack of interest

from academia or communication between different fora. They should better utilize existing

academia platforms, such as GFAR, GCHERA and RUFORUM, to lobby at the international

and regional level on pertinent issues. Several regional networks have also been established to

provide coordinating roles. FAO should support this process.

There is an immense need for capacity development on the ground through use of innovations

and strategic country level interventions. Academia must design environments conducive to

higher learning and critical thinking through knowledge incubators, including fora for open

dialogue to strengthen critical thinking. FAO should promote South-South-North triangulation

and use existing platforms to motivate youth and mobilize resources for research, expertise,

technology. Participation is the key.

The gap between research agenda and research needs must be overcome. Closer links between

research, education and extension are vital for a proper application of research results. At the

same time, existing outputs of research must be better applied. Where academia has developed a

repertoire of tools and techniques which can be of direct benefit to the farming community,

FAO could facilitate uptake by increasing engagement of local academia. Existing platforms

and networks for research must be utilized in a more integrated holistic manner. An example is

the CIRAD facilitated platform in partnership for research and training in developing countries.

A particularly strong plea is for expanding opportunities for youth engagement - particularly in

rural areas. More investment, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, incentives for innovations,

13

scholarships and internships at local institutions should be expanded to address food security

and related issues. A more inclusive approach is necessary to make a substantial impact at

ground level.

Access to resources is very important. Much of academia works within the confines high

performance pressure and limited budget that restricts wider collaboration and inter disciplinary

interactions. FAO and other partners should support academia, especially those from developing

countries though resource mobilization for expanding contribution to SO.

The open consultative process initiated by FAO should be expanded and continued on a regular

basis for raising awareness and expanding partnerships. More consultations at the regional and

local level are needed to identify academia partnership opportunities within the specific regional

initiatives of FAO’s strategic program of work. Mapping of the ongoing programmes can help

pinpoint natural partnership opportunities at country level.

VI. Summary of Recommendations for FAO

The experts called upon FAO and developmental partners to engage more with the academic

sector. Academia is particularly keen to open new opportunities for students to build a strong

next generation of agriculture practitioners. They gave a number of recommendations of FAO

actions as summarized below:

The Strategy provides a good framework to institutionalize collective efforts. FAO should

keep it updated with a focus on strategic alliances; keep the road map under review to

identify and develop opportunities and deepen partnerships,

Regular consultations should be undertaken at the regional level to identify gaps and match

to academic resources to support the implementation of SO and their regional initiatives. A

joint map is required to identify the knowledge gaps and match them to existing available academic resources,

Strong communications must be maintained with the academia. More outreach and

advocacy at the local level will promote engagement of academia on the ground,

FAO should work with member governments to shape research agenda to support the SO

and address the challenging issues of hunger and poverty. FAO should take advantage of the

existing hubs, networks and initiatives of the academia and research community for this and

for the promotion and dissemination of knowledge and expertise,

Resources are essential for expanding the role of academia to increase participation. FAO

should actively promote resource mobilization to support academic engagement in

intergovernmental processes and in FAO projects and programmes,

FAO should provide an open space for dialogue and work together to create a venue in

which FAO and academia can provide long-term critical thinking and foresight on

agriculture food systems. Simple propositions such as exchange of staff and sabbaticals

should be encouraged,

FAO should work with Centers of Excellence, align them to SO-led initiatives to close the

knowledge gaps, exchange latest information and innovations, build capacities and

demonstrate transformative approaches. Ph.D. students could be linked to provide various

analyses, market information, quality data based on academia research,

FAO can better support academia’s role in food security by promoting South-South-North

academic exchanges, supporting regional meetings, promoting fellowships, sharing lessons

learnt and latest policy information,

Academic curriculum for food sector needs to be updated. FAO expertise should be utilized

for academia curriculum development, particularly for promoting practical,

multidisciplinary approaches to food and agriculture topics,

14

Academia and FAO need to contribute to agriculture a profession more attractive to youth.

FAO and academia should develop innovation clusters, including incubators to support local

knowledge, sensitizing youth through joint FAO-academia programmes.

VII. Conclusion and Next Steps

In his closing remarks Mr. Rolf Hackbart, Deputy Director, OPC, thanked the experts for their

time and dedication to the consultation. He reiterated that partnership, particularly with

academia, is crucial for the success of enabling the livelihoods of the disadvantaged

populations. He reiterated to all that academic input is essential for opening the minds of

governments and is catalytic to the support of local projects. Mr. Casteñeda also thanked the

experts and noted that this Consultation is an important step towards broader information

sharing process and interaction between partners. Bold steps are required to address the

enormous challenges ahead.

The experts thanked FAO for reaching out to the academia and for the inclusive process of

developing the strategy and a road map. All acknowledged academia’s important role in food

security and welcomed the opportunity to participate in the consultation as a way of sharing

knowledge and resources to serve the cause of eliminating hunger.

15

Annex 1

Strengthening FAO–Academia Partnerships

Expert Consultation

5-6 June 2014

FAO Headquarters, Rome,

Agenda

Day 1: German Room C229

Time Session I – Setting the Scene Lead

08:30-09:00 Registration

09:00- 09:30 Welcome and Opening remarks

D.Gustafson, DDO

M. Villarreal, Director,

OPC

09:30-10:00 Role of academia in food security and

development

W. Belik,

University of Campinas,

Brazil

10:00-10:30 FAO-Academia partnership strategy:

Opportunities and Challenges

C.Mielitz, K.Ghosh,

OPCP

10:30-11:00 Coffee break

Time Session II - Leveraging Academic Knowledge Lead

11:00-13:00 Working Group A: Eliminating hunger, food

insecurity and malnutrition

Venue: German Room (C229)

FAO Strategic Objective

1 Team Members

Working Group B: Enabling more inclusive and

efficient agricultural and food systems

Venue: Philippines Room (C223)


4 Team Members

13:00-14:15 Lunch

14:15-15:45

Working Group A: Reducing rural poverty

Venue: German Room (C229)


3 Team Members

Working Group B: Increasing resilience of

livelihoods to threats and crises

Venue: Philippines Room (C223)


5 Team Members

16

Day 2: German Room C229

Time Session III: Knowledge for Action Lead

09:00-09:30 FARA and its role on capacity development in

Africa

Irene Annor-Frempong,

Director, Capacity

Development, FARA

09:30-10:30 Roadmap for FAO-Academia partnerships

Working Group presentations and discussion

R. Castañeda, Chief,

OPCP

SO1 and SO3 Teams

10:30-11:00 Coffee break

11:00-12:30 Working Group presentations and discussion

SO2, SO4, SO5 Teams

12:30- 13:00 General Discussion and Next Steps

C. Mielitz, OPCP

13:00 13:15 Closing remarks

M.H Semedo, DDN

17

Annex 2

EXPERT CONSULTANTS

Ms. Irene ANNOR-FREMPONG

Forum for Agricultural in Africa

FARA Secretariat

PMB CT 173 Cantonments

Accra, Ghana

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 233 302 772823

Mr. Walter BELIK

University of Campinas

Campus Universitário Zeferino Vaz

Barão Geraldo, Campinas

Sao Paolo, 13083-970, Brazil


Tel: 55 19 3521 2121

Mr. Elsiddig A. E. ELSEIKH

University of Khartoum

Gamma Ave

Khartoum 11111, Sudan


Tel: 249183772601

Ms. Isabel GUTIÉRREZ-MONTES

CATIE 7170, Sede Central

Cartago, Turrialba, Costa Rica


Tel: 506 558 2639

Mr. Mark HOLDERNESS

Global Forum on Agricultural Research

Viale dell Terme di Caracalla

00153 Rome, Italy


Tel: 39 0657053989

Ms. Nahla HOUALLA

American University of Beirut

P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh

Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon


Tel: 961 1 343002

Mr. Timothy JOHNS

McGill University

845 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest

Montréal, QC H3A 0G4, Canada


Tel: 514 398 7847

Ms. Gerdien MEIJERINK

Wageningen University

Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB

Wageningen, The Netherlands


Tel: 30653935022

Ms. Debra OLSON

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, MN 55455

United States of America


Tel: 1 612 625 0476

Mr. Jacques PAGES

French Permanent Representation to FAO

Corso del Rinascimento, 52

00186 Rome, Italy


Tel: 33 4 67 61 75 21

Mr. Enrico PORCEDDU

University of Tuscia, Viterbo

Via San Camillo de Lellis,

01100 Viterbo, Italy


Tel: 39 0761 3571

Mr. Fabrice RENAUD

United Nations University

5-53-70 Jingumae, Shibuya,

Tokyo 150-8925, Japan


Tel: 62 21 5255179

Mr. T.V. SATYANARAYANA

Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University

Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh 500030, India


Tel: 8008943336

STRENGTHENING FAO-ACADEMIA PARTNERSHIPS

EXPERT CONSULTATION

Provisional Participant List

5-6 June, 2014

mailto:[email protected]













18

Mr. David SHAW

Mississippi State University

Mississipi State, MS 39762

United States of America


Tel: 662 325 3570

Mr. Bendantunguka TIISEKWA

Sokoine University of Agriculture

P.O. Box 3000, Chuo Kikuu,

Morogoro, Tanzania


Tel: 255 23260 4649

Mr. Tong YAN-AN

Northwest A&F University

No.3 Taicheng Road, Yangling,

Shaanxi, 712100, China


Tel: 86 0 29 87081213

Ms. Renata YANBYKH

All-Russian Institute of Agrarian Problems and

Informatics

342 POB, 21 B.Kharitoniyevsky Lane,

Moscow, 103064, Russia


Tel: 79165974813





19

FAO Strategic Objectives Team Participants

Mr. Mark SMULDERS

Senior Economist, Agricultural Development

Economics Division

Economic and Social Development Department


Mr. Paul MUNRO FAURE

Deputy Director, Climate, Energy and Tenure

Division

Natural Resources Department


Mr. Carlo CAFIERO

Project Manager, Statistics Division



Ms. Cordelia SALTER

Communications Coordinator

Committee on World Food Security


Ms. Ruth CHARRONDIERE

Nutrition Officer, Nutrition Division



Ms. Magdalena BLUM

Agricultural Training, Natural Resources Research

Division



Tel: 39 06 570 56098

Ms. Samia METWALLY

Senior Animal Health Officer, Animal Health

Division

Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department


Ms. Karin NICHTERLEIN

Agricultural Research Officer, Natural Resources

Research Division



Ms. Katinka DEBALOGH

Senior Officer, Animal Production and Health

Division



Mr. Salomon SALCEDO

Senior Strategy and Planning Officer

Office of Strategy, Planning and Resources

Management


Ms. Susan KAARIA

Senior Officer, Social Protection Division



Mr. Harry JOHNSTONE

Programme Coordinator, Social Protection

Division



Ms. Pilar SANTACOLOMA

Agribusiness Economist, Rural Infrastructure and

Agro-Industries Division



Ms. Eva GALVEZNOGALES

Agribusiness Economist, Agribusiness Officer,

Rural Infrastructure and Agro-Industries Division



Ms. Marlo RANKIN

Agribusiness Officer, Rural Infrastructure and

Agro-Industries Division



Mr. Neil MARSLAND

Senior Technical Officer, Emergency and

Rehabilitation Division

Technical Cooperation Department


Mr. Guenter HEMRICH

Senior Strategy and Planning

Office of Strategy, Planning


Mr. Luca RUSSO

Programme Coordinator, Agricultural

Development Economics Division



Mr. Chikelu MBA

Agricultural Officer

Plant Production and Protection Division






















20

Mr. Kevin HELPS

Senior Officer




Ms. Manuela ALLARA

Programme Specialist




Mr. Jaff KAYAN

Senior Policy Officer

FAO Regional Office Near East


Ms. Ginna GEAL

Partnership Officer

FAO Regional Office, Asia & the Pacific


Office of Partnerships, Advocacy and Capacity Development, Partnerships Division (OPC)

Mr. Rodrigo CASTAÑEDA

Chief, Partnerships Unit (OPCP)

OPC, FAO


Ms. Kakoli GHOSH

Coordinator, Academia Partnerships

OPCP


Mr. Franz MARTIN

Partnership Officer, Academia,

OPCP


Ms. Rosana FRATTINI

Partnership Officer, Academia,

OPCP


Mr. Yon FERNANDEZLARRINOA

Advocacy Officer,

OPCA


Mr. Carlos G.A.M. NETTO

Consultant,

Professor, Faculty of Economics

UFRGS, Brazil


Ms. Vanessa PASSAFARO

Consultant, Academia, OPCP


Ms. Joelle KIMENGA

Junior Consultant, Academia, OPCP


Ms. Sally DICKINSON

Clerk, OPCP













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